


Teamwork

by miera



Category: Star Trek: Enterprise
Genre: Alternate Universe, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-05
Updated: 2010-08-05
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:18:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105506
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miera/pseuds/miera
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Denialfic. If Hayes had been in the bar during 4.03 "Home," and then of course gone home to tend to Malcolm's injuries... (11/09/2004)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Teamwork

"And just who the hell are you?"

"Major Matthew Hayes, Military Assault Command."

*~*~*~*~*

"I can't leave you alone for five minutes."

Despite the newly formed bruise on his jaw, Malcolm smiled at the reflection in the bathroom mirror. Leaning in the doorframe behind him, arms folded across his chest, Matthew was glaring at him.

"I covered your ass for 10 months in the Delphic Expanse and we get back to Earth and practically the first time you leave the ship you get into a fight."

Matthew was in full rant mode, something Malcolm had not seen until the last few weeks of their mission. He'd only gotten to know this side of Major Hayes once the obstacle of Malcolm's irrational hostility towards the man was out of the way and they started to interact like equal partners instead of enemies. Malcolm let him go on while he rinsed out the washcloth he had been using to hold ice to his bruised face.

"And not just a fight, a brawl in a bar. In public. With a drunken xenophobic asshole. And you dragged Mayweather into it with you."

Malcolm shot him a look as he exited the bathroom, careful to brush very close to the other man on his way. "Travis wouldn't have let anyone harass Phlox regardless of whether I was there or not."

"But you were there," Matthew shot back. "And you had to wear the jacket, which probably is half the reason the guy targeted you in the first place. Flirting with those women..."

Malcolm flopped down on the huge soft bed in the center of the hotel room, lips quirking into a smirk. "Jealous?"

Matthew snorted. "Please. If they knew you like I do, they'd run for the hills."

"Thanks." He fell back onto the bed with a thump.

There was a heavy sigh from the other side of the room. "I was having a quiet night out with some friends. And I ended up in a bar fight. I'm not looking forward to explaining that to my CO tomorrow or whenever he hears about it."

Malcolm shrugged. "Tell him the truth, you were acting in defense of comrades as well as an innocent civilian."

The bed shifted and suddenly Matthew was looming, pinning him down. "It wasn't just a comrade."

Malcolm felt a truly silly grin spread across his face that he didn't bother trying to hide.

"Although I really was hoping to spend at least one night not worrying about watching your back."

Malcolm squirmed and Matthew let out a small hiss. "I seem to recall you aren't averse to watching my back under the right circumstances. And admit it, you enjoyed yourself tonight, after a fashion."

"Enjoyed beating up on a bunch of drunken SOBs in a second rate bar?"

"I saw your face when you decked the lout who was confronting us. You were excited."

Matthew shifted, looking slightly sheepish. "I was in preparing for hand to hand combat."

"There's something to be said for good old fashioned fisticuffs. We should know." Malcolm chuckled, thinking of the moment when the two of them realized the verbal and physical sparring between them had been simply holding the place of what they both actually wanted to do.

Matt didn't bother answering with words, but his mouth could be highly communicative in even a nonverbal capacity. Some time later, both of them slumped across the pillows, sweaty and sated, he sighed, "We do make a pretty good team."

"That we do, Major."


End file.
